


December 20th: Cold Outside

by NimueOfTheNorth



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV), NCIS
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Fluff and Smut, M/M, ProfilersForChristmas2018, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-20
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-09-23 10:48:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17078900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NimueOfTheNorth/pseuds/NimueOfTheNorth
Summary: There seems to be a conspiracy between the Hotchner men to keep Tony with them on Christmas Eve. He doesn't mind.





	December 20th: Cold Outside

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [FA_ProfilersForChristmas2018](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/FA_ProfilersForChristmas2018) collection. 



> **Prompt:** Baby, It's Cold Outside
> 
> song by Dean Martin & Marilyn Maxwell
> 
> Added Note: Yes, I'm aware of the ongoing controversy around this song. No, I don't wanna get into it. Tony is perfectly capable of making his own decisions and nobody is undermining that in this story.

Tony still wasn't sure how his life had reached its current state, but he wasn't about to complain.

Leaving NCIS had been a difficult decision that he'd put off longer than he probably should but giving up the substitute family he'd found there had been hard, even long after it had taken a turn for the disastrously dysfunctional. In the end, he was glad he'd gotten out without any major damage to his person and with time, he'd even managed to repair some of the friendships that had soured under the strain of the deteriorating work dynamic.

Others, he hadn’t even bothered with.

Professionally, he'd felt adrift after handing in his resignation and had given himself some time to evaluate his options. The money he had inherited and saved wasn't enough to live comfortably without working, but it sure covered a month or three of sabbatical.

He’d contemplated going back to uni, getting another degree more pertinent to his current career. Part of it was that he enjoyed learning especially when the knowledge was applicable in real life and looking at his age he thought it was more or less his last good opportunity to do it before retirement. But he was also self-aware enough to know that another part was McGee’s disparaging voice echoing in his ears.

The answer had come to him in an unexpected form shortly after he returned from an overdue vacation. Fornell had shown up at his door, this time not just off-handedly mentioning his interest in bringing Tony into the FBI but with a concrete offer and date for a job interview. As the offer hadn't been for anything including Agent Sacks, Tony had been willing to listen.

And that's how he found himself part of a team specialising in undercover work - active operations, consults and support, and training. That the higher-ups were encouraging him to work towards a degree in psychology and sociology with a certain amount of work hours set aside for those studies was an added bonus given Tony's most recent contemplations.

The switch had been made even easier by the fact that the unit worked out of Quantico and Tony hadn’t had to move. He’d come to like his apartment since the new owner had put the house in order.

"Hey, where did you go?" The question came accompanied by a steaming mug of hot chocolate, and he smiled up at Hotch.

“Just contemplating how leaving NCIS without a plan lead me to a lunch invitation at your place on Christmas Eve.”

"We were fortunate you were around to help us on that dreadful case. Sometimes those work encounters develop into friendship." Aaron settled in on the other end of the couch from where he could watch Jack putting together a jigsaw puzzle at the dining table. They'd offered to help, but the eight-year-old had vehemently refused.

“I think you keeping me around had more to do with me challenging your status as the best marksman outside of SWAT,” Tony teased and laughed at the frown that garnered.

They fell quiet, and Tony took a sip of his chocolate. "Hmmm, what's in this?"

“A bit of cinnamon, vanilla, and a dash of whiskey. I can make you a pure one if you don’t like it.”

"No, it's delicious. I just couldn't pick out the flavours." They both went back to sipping their beverages, and the quiet between them was comfortable. Hotch was a great conversationalist when the situation called for it, but Tony had quickly figured out that the man wasn't one for inane chatter. And with him, Tony didn't feel the need to fill the silence either and could enjoy the easy companionship as it was.

"I started inviting you to our Saturday lunches because how well you got on with Spencer," Aaron said after a little while. "His social skills have grown a lot over the years, but it's still rare that he finds people who get him. You two geeking out about movies that day we all were at the shooting range together was just so nice to see that I wanted to give that friendship a bit of a nudge."

“You’re a good friend, Aaron Hotchner,” Tony said softly. He didn’t feel a need to tell him that he and Spencer had already made arrangements to go to a special movie showing a few weeks later by the time Hotch invited Tony to their bi-weekly Saturday lunches. “Doesn’t explain why you keep inviting me over even when Spencer has other plans. And on Christmas Eve of all days.”

Aaron started to fidget with his cup and Tony thought he saw the beginnings of a blush, but Jack chimed in from where he had abandoned his jigsaw.

“Because we like you and today is Saturday, of course! Dad, can I have a cookie?”

“Okay, but just one.”

They both watched Jack dash off to the kitchen where the plate of cookies sat on the counter. Tony still got a warm and fuzzy feeling every time Jack said things like that after all the awkward encounters with kids Tony had had over the years. Either Jack was a bit of an odd kid as he was immune to the legendary Reid factor as well, or he was a genius kid having somehow taught Spencer and Tony how to be more comfortable around children without them really noticing. If Jack had inherited anything from his dad, Tony would bet on the latter. Hotchner men were sneaky that way.

Jack came running back into the living room, cookie in hand and the most excited smile on his face. “It’s snowing! Can we go outside and play?”

Tony got up to look out the window. The temperatures had been hovering around freezing for days, but the air had been dry and the skies clear. Now there were thick snowflakes quickly covering everything.

“I don’t know if Tony likes snowball fights, Jack. We can always do that tomorrow,” Aaron said to rein in Jack’s exuberance.

"Actually, I haven't had a good snowball fight in way too long. Let's go outside!" Maybe Jack's joy at seeing snow for Christmas was contagious, but Tony was absolutely into the idea. For all that he liked the occasional good-natured prank, he rarely indulged in the simple, childish joys life had to offer.

Aaron raised a sceptical eyebrow but obviously decided not to argue and got up from the couch as well. “Okay, then. Bundle up, everyone!”

Out in the garden, there was plenty of snow already, but it was too fresh and flakey to stick together in proper balls, so they ended up showering each other with handfuls of the stuff instead. It didn't seem to matter to Jack at all, who was screaming and laughing with joy.

Tony was surprised how much Aaron let loose while playing in the snow with his son. There was a whole different energy about him, and it only made him more handsome. He sneakily took a few pictures with his phone to show father and son later.

Getting distracted was a dangerous thing under the circumstances as he soon found himself tackled to the ground where Jack introduced him to the finer points of making snow angels. Tony was about to get up as the cold and wet was starting to seep into his clothes when Jack gave him pause.

“We have to make the best snow angels we can so our moms can see them from heaven and know we think about them. It’s like our Christmas card to them.”

There was no way Tony was getting up without giving it his best effort after that, and when Jack eventually judged their angels satisfactory with a pleased smile, it reconnected Tony to a part deep inside himself he had done his best to ignore for decades.

As he was brushing snow off his legs, he began to shiver.

"Okay, that's it for me. I need to get inside, or my lungs will give me trouble tomorrow."

“Oh no, Tony, I hadn’t even thought about that. Come on, I’ll light the fireplace to warm you up.” Aaron was already at the back door, gesturing them back into the house and quelled any protest from Jack with one stern glance. “I’ll get you some of my sweats so you can get out of your wet jeans. I can throw those in the drier for you.”

“Hotch, you don’t have to do that. It’s okay.”

But the man had already tossed his jacket onto a hook, slipped out of his boots and was running up the stairs. Tony just sighed and gave in to the inevitable. If he was honest, he shouldn't argue with dry pants if he didn't want to spend Christmas sick in bed. Beside him, Jack was meticulously getting out of his own snow gear and putting everything in its place with a look of contemplation on his face. Tony started to prepare the answers he wanted to give to the questions he could see coming from his young friend.

Walking out of the little mudroom that connected the garden to the kitchen, he got a whole stack of clothes thrust into his arms. On top of the promised sweatpants, Aaron had fetched him a knitted sweater, a henley and woollen socks.

“You should change out of everything that got wet.”

Tony just thanked him and walked off towards the small guest bathroom because the man was right and he'd learned a while ago to not put his pride above his health. A quick change later, he felt much more comfortable. He and Aaron were very similar in stature, and the other man's clothes fit him well. He looked at himself in the mirror and liked the look more than he probably should. He allowed himself one good sniff of the sweater and even though it smelled freshly washed, he imagined he could still catch a hint of Aaron's scent in it.

Feeling a little bit guilty but brushing it aside, Tony left the bathroom and found the fireplace lit and steaming mugs of tea for all of them.

“Here, let me take these.” Aaron headed off with his clothes and Tony thanked him before joining Jack on the rug.

They blew on the top and sipped their tea for a few minutes before Jack blurted out his question.

“What’s wrong with your lungs?”

“Jack! That’s a very personal question,” Aaron admonished as he settled down with his own tea.

"Sorry," Jack looked contrite. "But you know, and I worry about Tony, so I want to know too."

Tony snorted at how the young boy stood his ground against his father who most agents shied away from. "It's fine, Aaron. I don't mind the question, and I brought it up in the first place." He turned towards Jack. "Have you heard about the plague yet, Jack?"

"Yeah, Uncle Spencer said there are three different types, and they showed up throughout history, but the worst was the Black Death in the Middle Ages. It spread really fast, and a lot of people died because nobody knew what caused it or how to heal it."

"Exactly. One type attacks the lungs, and a few years ago, at my old job, I got exposed to that bacterium. It came from a lab researching vaccines and medicine against it. It's not something you have to worry about like getting the flu at school. The lab had made the bacteria extra strong for their tests, so no medicine available helped me but they'd also made sure it would die after a little while, so it stopped making me sick."

“So you were kinda unlucky and lucky at the same time?”

"Yes, you could say that," Tony laughed. "The plague had done a lot of damage to my lungs, and it took me a good while to get fit again. I'm mostly okay now, but my lungs have scars, and those won't go away, and I'm more at risk of getting problems. So I have to be more careful not to get a cold and things like that."

“Daddy has scars that won’t go away as well,” Jack mused. “Will you be okay even though I made you make snow angels with me?”

"Yes, Jack, you don't have to worry. I'm old enough to look out for myself, and your dad's dry clothes and this lovely fire really help."

“Good.” Jack nodded resolutely and sipped some more of his tea.

Tony glanced at the clock on the wall and sighed internally because he didn’t really want to go. “It’s getting late. I should probably head home and leave you two to your Christmas Eve.”

"But we haven't played Christmas songs yet, and you promised I could show you!"

Jack sounded outright devastated, and Tony smiled despite himself. "I did, didn't I. Okay, Jackster, on with the music."

Tony felt a little proud that seeing his piano when he'd invited Hotch, Jack and Spencer for pasta had started Jack's interest in learning the instrument and that he was still sticking with it almost a year later. Aaron had leased an e-piano to begin with, but Tony knew that Jack would receive a proper one tomorrow because he'd helped Aaron pick it out.

Jack proudly played the three songs he'd learned for his school's Christmas celebration. Tony had been invited to it but couldn't make it due to a case, so he happily gave his applause now. Next, he found himself pulled onto the bench to show Jack some more songs and tricks, and it soon slipped into Tony playing with all of them singing whatever they remembered of the lyrics. That lasted until Jack's stomach growled loudly.

“I’ll get dinner started,” Aaron said and headed towards the kitchen. “You’re welcome to stay, Tony,” he called over his shoulder. “It’s just grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup, though.”

"That sounds lovely, but I should head home, or the nosey old lady across the hall will get worried - or so she says."

“But I didn’t hear the dryer beep yet, so your clothes aren’t dry. Please stay for dinner?” Jack begged.

Tony was pretty sure they'd drowned out the beeping of the dryer with all the singing they'd done, but Jack's puppy dog eyes were too cute to resist.

“Okay, I guess I need to eat dinner anyway. And if your father is willing to feed me, that’s one less chore for me.”

“Yay!” Jack threw his arms around Tony and climbed onto his back, directing his newly acquired stallion towards the kitchen.

Tony ended up helping Aaron make the food, and they all settled in for a delightful meal during which Jack chattered on about what he hoped to get for Christmas. The wish to be on the list of nice children led to Jack cleaning up their dishes without prompting.

“We always watch a Christmas movie on Christmas Eve. This year it’s _Home Alone_. Do you wanna watch it with us?” Tony started to notice a theme and wondered how much of that was genuinely Jack or if Aaron had put him up to it. But then again, that might just be his wishful thinking.

“If your dad doesn’t mind, I haven’t watched that one in ages.”

"You are more than welcome to stay, Tony. Why don't you two set up the living room and I make popcorn?" He gestured them out the door, and Jack pulled Tony along to instruct him on how to make the perfect cushion and blanket nest in front of their TV.

Once Aaron joined them, it became very obvious that the nest didn't allow for much distance between its occupants and Tony was equal parts happy and uncomfortable with that. The movie was as hilarious as ever, and they laughed a lot, Tony sometimes watching Aaron more than the movie because it was such a rare sight.

By the time the end credits rolled over the screen, Jack was falling asleep snuggled in between the both of them.

“I’ll just put him to bed real quick. There’s still some wine left if you’d like,” Aaron said quietly and gathered a mumbling Jack up in his arms.

Tony split the rest of the wine into their glasses and got up to stretch his legs and take a look out the window. The sight made him sigh. He heard Aaron walk up from behind before the man came to stand right beside him.

“I didn’t notice that it kept snowing like that all this time.”

“Me neither. The streets will be terrible.” Tony took another sip of his wine.

“You could always stay here.”

“Now that would give my neighbour something to worry about. Or explode into wild speculations, depending on her mood.”

“Tony,” Aaron sighed. “Why does your neighbour even matter?”

“She doesn’t,” he admitted. “I’m probably just trying to preserve an outsider’s view on all this because I don’t trust my own. And I really think I should get home.”

“Do you want to go home or just think you should?”

“Does it matter?”

“Yes, I think it does, very much.”

“I don’t want to go home,” Tony admitted more quietly.

“Then don’t. I know I would worry if you braved the streets with all that snow.”

“Is that the only reason you’d like me to stay?”

“No, I…” Aaron Hotchner at a loss for words was an unusual sight. And quite adorable in Tony’s biased opinion. What the man eventually settled on was a little clumsy and not as subtle as he probably aimed for.

“I like you wearing my clothes.”

Tony did his best not to laugh as Aaron cringed about his words.

"I like me wearing your clothes as well." Tony set his wine glass onto the windowsill and reached for Aaron's hand instead. "And I can stay and keep wearing them or…"

“Or what?” Aaron asked a little breathless.

“Or we can see how the evening progresses and if I get what I want for once. It’s Christmas after all.”

“And what is it that you wished for?”

They had moved closer together and were almost touching by now.

“You.” Tony didn’t want to say more and just closed the gap between them instead with a kiss.

Aaron's fingers tightened around his, and as the kiss lingered, a strong hand settled at the back of Tony's head, pulling him closer. When a tongue tasted against his lips, Tony parted them and invited Aaron in without hesitation. The pleased little humming sound Aaron made in answer made Tony tingle with warmth.

Aaron started to slowly walk backwards, and Tony let himself be guided by their joined hands resting at the small of his back. They made it down onto their knees in the blanket nest without breaking the kiss somehow, and as soon as he had Tony safely on the ground, Aaron let his hands wander. It didn't take long until they searched out skin underneath Tony's borrowed clothes and he happily took that as an invitation for his own explorations.

They were stripping each other of their clothes and kissing whatever skin was in reach in no time at all. Aaron guided Tony down onto his back and Tony made himself comfortable and spread his legs so Aaron would fit between them comfortably. They both groaned as their hard cocks rubbed against each other, but they just kept trading kisses and touches, neither in any hurry to finish this quickly. The fire was still bustling in the background, and a part of Tony's mind snarked about how terribly cliché romantic this all was. The rest of him told it to shut up and revelled in the feeling of strong muscles under his hands, demanding lips against his, and the weight and warmth of Aaron on top of him.

“If we need to go upstairs to get to lube, I’d rather do that now,” Tony eventually said when he grew impatient for more.

Aaron raised himself up on one arm and reached under one of the cushions and pulled a tube and a strip of condoms out. “I’ve got everything here already.”

"Hmmm, somebody had his hopes up for tonight. I like a man with a plan," Tony teased and kissed Aaron as a reward. "I know I'm clean and I trust you, so the condom is your call. I like it either way."

Aaron’s cock jerked against him in reaction. “Tony,” Aaron groaned into the crook of his neck. “You’re so unbelievable tempting, you know that?” He tossed the condoms aside and made his way down Tony’s body, kissing and licking as he went.

He coated his fingers with lube and made Tony's eyes roll back when he carefully breached his hole at the same moment as he sucked his cock into his mouth. Tony made himself relax, and Aaron followed his body's cues and didn't stretch things out more than necessary. When Tony felt he was ready, he tugged Aaron up by the hair.

“Enough prep or there will be nothing left to prep for. You’re entirely too good at this.”

“You taste good. I was really enjoying myself down there.” Aaron’s smile was saucy, not an adjective Tony had expected to assign to the man.

"And you're welcome to spend a lot more time there later. But now I want you inside of me. Make me come with that gorgeous large cock of yours."

“As you wish.”

Aaron pushed into him in one steady movement, letting Tony adjust and enjoy the slight burn. Tony slipped his legs around Aaron's waist when he bottomed out to hold him there for a moment, just to feel him. When Aaron started to rock in and out of him, he let him, and the movements soon turned into deep, powerful thrusts that hit his prostate perfectly and pushed Tony's arousal ever higher.

He clung to Aaron's shoulders, searching for purchase as Aaron took him apart with pleasure. Strong arms held him, and that wonderful, deep, chocolatey voice murmured words of love and desire into his ear, keeping him grounded.

Tony's orgasm broke over him like a tidal wave, and he let himself be swept away, knowing he could trust Aaron to take care of him in every way. He felt Aaron reach his own climax moments later and then his lover collapsed beside him and gathered him into his arms.

They basked in the afterglow with now perception of time and Tony couldn’t remember ever feeling this comfortable, safe and cherished.

“Merry Christmas,” was the first thing Aaron whispered into his ear after catching his breath.

“Merry Christmas to you too. Be honest - did you set Jack up to keep me here today?”

Aaron snorted with surprised laughter. “Nope, I’m entirely innocent on that front. That was all him, though I certainly wasn’t about to complain. He made things a lot easier for me.”

“So you wanted me to stay anyway?”

“I had very selfish reasons of inviting you over even when Spencer had other plans. For today, I had a whole list of arguments to convince you. But I’m glad they weren’t needed.”

Tony snuggled closer into Aaron's embrace, and they just enjoyed the fire and each other for a little while longer.

“Let’s go up to bed.” Tony startled at Aaron’s words, not having noticed that he was about to drift off to sleep.

One quick, shared shower later Tony found himself tucked into a bed that smelled entirely like Aaron while the man in question went back downstairs to tidy up, lock the house down, and put the presents under the tree - minus the piano which was hidden in the downstairs guest room. He was still hovering at the edge of sleep when Aaron joined him in bed, and they curled around each other.

 

* * *

 

 

Tony had never been woken up by a kid, especially not one already in full-blown Christmas morning excitement. They'd moved during the night, and he was now the little spoon with Aaron plastered all along his back and his lover's arm around his chest. He dared to open an eye and found Jack frozen on his knees where he'd jumped onto the bed, mouth hanging open and eyes blinking slowly.

Then the excitement returned with added force and Tony had but a moment to brace himself for the impact of Jack launching at the two of them.

"It worked! You stayed!" Jack yelled and laughed. "You stayed here, and you and dad are cuddling, and I hope you kissed and all that, and you stayed!"

Tony couldn’t contain the laughter bubbling up in him as he returned an exuberant hug from Jack. “Yes, I stayed, you sneaky sneaker who sneaks. Your plan worked, though your dad helped by picking up where you fell asleep.”

"Yay!" With that, the hug moved on to Aaron and Tony got a pointy knee in the stomach, but he couldn't care less. He was warm and comfortable and with people he loved. He was in no hurry to be anywhere else.


End file.
